Heavy metal contents in soft-bottom marine macrophytes and sediments along the Mediterranean coast of Spain

Hg, Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations were determined in sediment and in tissues of five species of soft-bottom marine macrophytes (Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, Zostera noltii, Ruppia cirrhosa and Caulerpa prolifera) along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Levels of metals were low in most of the sampling stations and similar to those found by other authors in uncontaminated zones. Certain locations, however, showed some degree of contamination (Cambrils, Almassora, Alacant, Mar Menor and El Portus). In Santa Pola we found high contents of metals in one sample of sediment due to the high proportion of the fine fraction (particules < 63 mu m) and organic matter, but not in the seagrass species. Mercury and zinc concentrations in the sediment are correlated to those in at least some anatomic fractions of Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa and Caulerpa prolifera, suggesting that these species reflect the levels of these metals in the environment. Lead contents in the alga Caulerpa prolifera are also correlated to those in the sediment, while no significant correlations were obtained for cadmium. Among the species studied, Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa seem to be better biomonitors than Caulerpa prolifera.

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Sanchiz C. Garcia-Carrascosa A.M. y Pastor A. Heavy metal contents in soft-bottom marine macrophytes and sediments along the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Jhon Wiley & Sons, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0485.2000.00642.x

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Resource type Article
Date of creation 2024-11-05
Date of last revision 2024-11-05
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Metadata identifier 8cbb84c8-7e4c-5d7c-a3ef-aa8f0ce5f9bc
Metadata language Spanish
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High-value dataset category Earth observation and environment
ISO 19115 topic category biota
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Name of the dataset creator Sanchiz, C., Garcia-Carrascosa, A.M. y Pastor, A.
Name of the dataset editor Jhon Wiley & Sons
Other identifier DOI: 10.1046/j.1439-0485.2000.00642.x
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Email of the dataset creator spddavid@tinet.fut.es
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